Rich Schuster has worked in many phases of the HVAC and plumbing industries since 1991, from apprentice to general manager in the contractor segment, and later as a rep for a large HVAC wholesaler. He has written two books with a focus on installation training basics, and can be reached at richardjschuster@gmail.com.

Explaining a Blackout

You know, a lot of what I talk about these days is the
need for training that exists in the HVAC world. So, without going into another rant on the
subject, let me ask you this. Keeping in
mind that we all have our “moments of fuzziness”, is the problem always a lack
of training? Or, could it be that we
sometimes just hire anyone that walks in the door who delivers the likelihood
of showing up more than two days in a row?

Before you feel compelled to agree, let me tell you why I
ask. The other day, a training class for
a new computerized zoning control was being presented by the manufacturer’s
rep. He had a nice working display in front of the class that was plugged into
an outlet, and was ready for a full demonstration. As the knowledgeable rep explained the attributes
and capabilities of the new equipment, the audience listened intently (sort of)
and asked the questions that you would expect at such an event. Then one tech asked “What happens to the
programming stuff if the power goes out?” “Well, we just entered all of our
information and schedules into the unit; let’s find out what would happen if it
lost power”. With that he abruptly
pulled the power cord out of the wall, and waved it in the air so that the
class would see it.

After a minute or two, he plugged it back into the wall,
and the lights on the unit flashed. The
rep showed the restless techs that the system had retained all of the
programming he had entered earlier, and he went on to spew more technical data. “No, that’s not what I meant” interrupted the
questioning tech. “I mean what if the power goes out, like a blackout?” Making sure that he didn’t miss something,
the rep took a minute to review what he had just done in his head, then tried
to explain that “no power, is no power” regardless of where it starts. The tech didn’t get it.

Hiring is more of a challenge these days than it has been
in the past, but that’s no excuse for putting the wrong guy in the wrong
spot. Find the right ones; it’s worth
the wait.

Blog Roll

Rich Schuster has worked in many phases of the HVAC and plumbing industries since 1991, from apprentice to general manager in the contractor segment, and later as a rep for a large HVAC wholesaler. He has written two books with a focus on installation training basics, and can be reached at richardjschuster@gmail.com.